Jyoti Jain

Now here’s the confusion! Rather here is the myth! OK my brand has got xx likes; we have been followed by xx people now our work is done! We have been part of social platform and we can grow as people will follow, share and talk about us. Point here lies is why would people do as you think? How your page is the only page they will follow like or share?

Let’s come to our own individual self, how we as digital creature maintain ourselves in digital arena, what things we like? Share or which brands we interact with?  Aren’t we conscious about the things we do online or rather afraid of the image it could create about ourselves in public? We only choose those product that speak about who we are as individuals or which we can talk about in our social group.

So how do we as an organization tap into these individual circles of online arena or start a conversation with them. Well it’s simple; let’s think ourselves as a person whose being a part of new group of friends, this group has already its choices, likes and dislikes. It would take them a while to know you, trust you or decide whether you can be part of them or not. Best you can do is share the common interest, be part of things that your friends like and connect to them on personal level this would not only grow their trust but also liking for you.

Brands have always been part of our daily life; they are not only just things which we use but are the reason of our maximum daily conversation, they are part of the moments we cherish, being a midnight munching of maggi with brother or cutting tea with Parle-G with friends outside college in rains. These very moments are the key that would make people relate, rejoice and connect to you. Concern here lies is finding exact ingredient or connecting link between your product and Target audience. This can be only done by listening to audience, tapping into their hidden desire, having constant watch on the trends of the target audience, Helping in their queries and solving their problem when ever asked or prompted by them and it would not be long that a strong community would be built around your brand and its would liked, shared, discussed and most importantly LOVED!

Here are some examples of brands that have got it right and eagerly waited every time they post or share something:

Meri Maggi:

That’s Special day, even, surprise or way of eating all are incomplete without YOUR favorite  MERI MAGGI!!

SMAAASH

Get the stress of out your everyday life with Smaaash! Enjoy all the thrilling moment and your favorite sport with your favorite people!! 

With constant search in battle of tapping the best place to reach the consumer and be a part of their everyday’s life, brands today try their hands every where possible digital media being their favorite particularly, Social Media Platforms.

In recent years there has been major shift of social networking to mobile. With new apps inventing every day there are only few apps that stay in peoples mind and become a part of our everyday’s life.  One such trending app which is creating its own space among the people is WhatsApp as early it might sound, this simple yet effective way of communicating has changed people’s outlook towards messaging. "People may not check e-mails, they would be too busy to answer a call, but everyone talks on WhatsApp."

The key to success here is the that you can find anyone with their phone number rather than their email address or PIN making it less hassle free and also it’s easy to use functions makes WhatsApp more like able among  all the age group.  Although People might argue that there are various other apps like ChatOn etc with same features, but the question here lies is the network this app has created. How did this happen? Word of mouth? It is a trend that takes off and everyone needs it. People need to feel part of something and therefore chose what their friends have slowly making WhatsApp the most viral application and thereby creating a new "WhatsApp community" where texting jokes, sending pictures and sharing video has been part of our everyday activity in our network group.

This sharing among the group is huge and you know about things without even realizing it.  Some days back I just received a random text of loads of bees & honey with a saying you are my honey bunny as stupid as it might sound I shared it with my close friend and after few minutes next I have is a tone with same thing. It’s only a day later I realize, when randomly switching the channel I suddenly stop at sound of same realizing to be a new Idea Cellular advert. Wow!! Well I never knew that what I was sharing a day before was an advert!

Sharing does not stops here current affair are known to me more by WhatsApp then by news channel or paper in humorous or in sarcastic way, as in my hand I have 10 people informing me about same thing some making fun of the situation or some passing a serious initiative to create awareness. Recently Narendra Modi being the person in limelight every where my WhatsApp friends were busy having a fun over it with picture below.

I got same picture at least from 5 different people and totally different places I would have not realized the impact of WhatsApp until recently my uncle showed me KFC board recalling the funny picture he had got on WhatsApp !!. KCF an alien brand to my uncle is suddenly so familiar, as he has send the same picture and received it from his friends and now he knows all about it.

The "WhatsApp community" is growing and growing like crazy this is definitely something for marketers to watch for. A brand can create its place in mind of it consumer by simply creating sharable things that can reach the heart of the consumer. Things that can give a topic which can be talked to anyone anywhere, things that can start a conversation among people, things that connects you and makes you feel part of something, things that are as crazy, creative, emotional same as day to day life of people. And it will not be long that a perfect idea could be a part of WhatsApp trend and eventually making a brand a part of joke that people laughed together, shared in their group and which became a part of their enjoyable experience.